So today I’m once again going to bring us back to that lovely morning in Maida Vale at chef/interior designer Hannah Geller Goldsmith home, an event revolving around wonderful Skandi inspired brunch recipes and Kikki.k’s new homeware range and involved mingling with some blogger’s I hadn’t had the pleasure of meeting till then.

It was a wonderfully chilled way to punctuate the halfway mark in my working week, and one I hope I can repeat on a regular basis! It’s not just because I enjoy getting fed either, before any of you flag up my piggy tendencies, I actually felt I was learning something too. Meal times like this may mean I become a bit less of a domestic nightmare, and in turn gain a few extra ‘good girlfriend’ points.

My boyfriend is currently the primary cook in this relationships, in fact he’s the only cook. Even when I attempt to rustle anything up, someone ends up taking over for fear that my clumsy ways will get me or them into extreme trouble.

I don’t know whether it was because Hanna is a great tutor or because the recipes are genuinly simple, but she made the following dish seem like something I might be able to recreate, well if anyone is willing to give me the chance.

Gravadlax with Dill and Mustard Sauce

One of the secrets of good gravadalx is really fresh salmon. If you are in any doubt, freeze your salmon for 24 hours, and then defrost before curing.

1.5kg side of salmon

1.5 tbsp black peppercorns

1 tbsp coriander seeds or juniper berries

100g granulated sugar

75g malden salt

2-3 tbsp Aquavit or Gin (optional)

100g dill + 6 extra dill sprigs

Sauce

30g dill

3 tbsp sunflower oil

3 tbsp white wine or cider vinegar

3 tbsp demarara sugar

3 tbsp wholegrain mustard

pinch of salt

Remove any pin bones and I like to trim the edges of the fillet so that its edges are tidy (but this is not completely necessary!)

Crush the peppercorns and coriander seeds (or juniper berries) in a mortar and pestle, and mix with the salt and sugar.

Finely chop the dill. Cut the fillet into two equal pieces and lay them skin side down on a large piece of cling film.

Cover the skinless flesh with chopped dill and cover one piece with the spice mixture.

Drizzle over booze if using and lay 3 additional sprigs of dill across the spices.

Cover with the other piece of fish so that the dill/spice mixture is in the middle and the skin is on the outside.

Wrap tightly in two layers of cling film and put in a tray or dish to catch any brine.

Lay an- other tray or plate on top and weigh down with bottles or tins.

Leave to cure for 48 hours in the fridge, turning every 12 hours or so (if you remember!)

When ready to serve, blitz all the ingredients for the sauce together in a blender or food processor and whizz until smooth.

To serve, unwrap the salmon, and wipe off the herby/spice mixture with kitchen towel.

Chop the remaining dill sprigs and lightly press onto the salmon.

Time to really concentrate! Slice diagonally from the tail to the centre, and serve on buttered rye or sourdough and drizzled with dill and mustard sauce.

Careful with those fingers people!!

Slice diagonally from the tail to the centre, and serve on buttered rye or sourdough and drizzled with dill and mustard sauce.

And here’s the finished result, and doesn’t it look amazing.

These wonderfully sleek and simple wooden trays are from Kikki.K’s new range and cost £24. I think they are perfect for dinner parties as they really showcase the food, and let the colours of the ingredients be the stars of the show. I love the unfussy, minimalist aesthetic of this particular product.

If you have vegan guests in your party why not have an avocado based alternative? Talking of Avocado….When I tell people I don’t like Avocado I receieve the same expression I get when I tell people I’m not in to Harry Potter. It’s like it’s an inbuilt obsession if you are a blogger, and if you don’t possess the love of the green stuff you are a freak of the influencer community. I wish I did like it because boy do all those Avocado toast Instagram shots look great, and I could definitely benefit from their health credentials.

They make for a rather complimentary combo don’t they?

If you try out any of the Buidling Feasts recipes I’ve been posting here, make sure you tag me in your pictures. Would love to see how you get on recreating these yummy Skandi dishes.